What’s In A Name? Louisiana Cities And Towns

Have you often wondered about the origin of your city's name? Of course, we have A LOT of French influence here in Louisiana, so that's pretty obvious, but still not always the case.

Our friends atLouisiana Travel have a list of some very interesting facts about the origins of towns and cities right here in the Bayou State! Louisiana was named for French King Louis XIV. The territory was named in his honor by the French explorer La Salle, who claimed the territory to the west of the Mississippi River in the 1680s for France.

Lafayette was originally named Vermilionville, for the Cajun community that formed on Bayou Vermilion in the late 1700, and the city of Monroe is indirectly named in honor of President James Monroe.